Marketing, advertising & media intelligence

Lorde's letter of thanks to fans in the lead up to last month's Grammy Awards and her Auckland Laneway makeup gig was the judge's pick for January's News Works Ad of the Month. And they reckon it wouldn't have worked in any other medium except the venerable newspaper.

"The tone of the writing reflected the authenticity that it came from Lorde herself," the judges said. "It was a crazy day and my friends and family over here are still freaking out," the letter said about the Grammys. "I just want to say thank you for the time you've given me over these past 14 months."

The judges gave special mention to another January contender, Saatchi and Saatchi Wellington, for The Devils Are Here for Wellington Zoo.

Third equal place went to DraftFCB for the Pak’n Save ad Blowing My Mind, which the judges said showed the "best use of a starburst in a New Zealand medium in the history of advertising”; and Special Group for News Works Things Are Believed First In Newspapers.

December's pick was True's effort for the ANZ Blackcaps match against the West Indies, with judges highlighting the standard of copywriting. The ad was designed as a windscreen flier, warning fans their vehicle windscreens were in danger of being smashed if they went to the game.

Judges also commended DraftFCB's Meat Week ad for Pak'n Save, Whybin\TBWA for Minds for Minds and Assignment for its Absolutely Positively Wellington campaign.

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Thinking outside the box: James Warburton and Mike Watkins on the future of APN Outdoor and billboards

After a performance that could be compared to stalling in 2017, StopPress sits down with APN Outdoor chief executive James Warburton, and general manager for New Zealand Mike Watkins, to hear how APN Outdoor is tracking financially, approaching the digital rollout and where they see the industry heading in the future.

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Why we like it: Many brands worldwide put out ads and campaigns in light of International Women's Day last week, some with questionable reasoning (looking at you McDonald's). It's great to see inspiration paired with action with this particular campaign, with women able to make a call to a respective leader to ask career questions or get advice about a particular field. With 17 leaders available, including author Joy Cowley and scientist Michelle Dickenson, we hope many Kiwi woman took up the opportunity to chat.

Who's it for: Bags Not by Bcg2 and Go Well Consulting

Why we like it: A campaign that wants to save the world is a good one in our books. The 'Bags Not' campaign encourages Kiwis to say no to plastic bags and supports them to change their single-use habits. Short and sweet and not too preachy, the ad uses celebrities such as artist Dick Frizell and writer and TV presenter, Jaquie Brown to help Kiwi consumers make a behaviour change. However, the proof will be in the pudding to see if Kiwis can cut down on the 1.6 billion single-use plastic bags used each year.

Who’s it for: BNZ by Colenso BBDO

Why we like it: This is the second phase of BNZ’s ‘Bank of You’ and it continues the focus on community and empathy. Featuring different communities in different situations the ad shows banking is more than just suits and spreadsheets. From flower shops to friends, New Zealanders are diverse and so are their interests.